Osteospermum plant named `Sunny Sonja`

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum named &#39;Sunny Sonja&#39;, particularly characterized by its mounding growth habit with excellent dark purple spoon-shaped ray florets, mid season flowering response time, medium green foliage, and suitability to 6 inch pots, and 8 and 10 inch hanging basket cultures.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of plantknown as Osteospermum. The new cultivar is known by the cultivar name`Sunny Sonja`, and was developed by the inventor Bjarne Larsen inOdense, Denmark in 1994 by crossing the cultivar designated `Fantasy`,an unpatented cultivar, with an unidentified cultivar.

Asexual reproduction by terminal (stem tip) cuttings taken by me orunder my supervision at Kernen Greenhouse in Odense, Denmark, has shownthat the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stabilized and arereproduced true to type in successive propagations.

The following characteristics distinguish the new Osteospermum from bothits parent varieties and other cultivars of this general type known andused in the floriculture industry:

1. A unique dark purple flower color, with more consistent spoon-shapedray flowers.

2. A mounded, compact growth habit.

3. Early flower response.

4. Well suited for 6" pots, nursery containers, and hanging baskets.

`Sunny Sonja` is similar to the cultivar `Pink Fantasy`. The growthhabit of `Sunny Sonja` is more mounded and compact, and flowers aredarker in color. Ray flowers tend to show more spoon form.

Chart A compares `Sunny Sonja` with `Cape Daisy Namaqua`, which isdescribed in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/695,340 which is theclosest comparable plant to the knowledge of the inventor.

    ______________________________________                                        CHART A                                                                       Characteristic `Cape Daisy Namaqua`                                                                         `Sunny Sonja`                                   ______________________________________                                        Plant Height (above the pot)                                                                 38 cm          38 cm                                           Plant Width    52 cm          67 cm                                           Flower Head Diameter                                                                          6 cm           6 cm                                           Color - mature ray florets                                                                   White          Purple                                          ______________________________________                                    

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph is a side perspective view of thenew cultivar, showing color as true as it is reasonably possible toobtain in a colored reproduction of this type.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of my new Osteospermum cultivarbased on plants grown under commercial practice in Encinitas, Calif.Three rooted cuttings were transplanted into 26 cm (10 inch) hangingbaskets on Dec. 11, 1995. Plants were pinched on Jan. 2, 1996, andreceived plant growth regulator on January 16 and 31. The values,measurements and observations noted below were taken from plants inbloom on Feb. 29, 1996 and continued flowering through April 1996.

On Apr. 10, 1996, I observed a plant in a 26 cm hanging basket 38 cmtall. This basket had three branched plants with an overall height of 53cm and an overall width of 67 cm. Each plant had 5 strong branches,originating from within 1.5 cm of the soil line, for a total of 15branches. Each branch was approximately 37 cm long terminating in aflower. At observation, there were 57 flowers open and 105 flower budsin various stages of development. Three secondary shoots subtend theterminal flower from the top 3 nodes on the primary shoot. Thesesecondary shoots also terminated in a flower.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.), except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

THE PLANT

Origin: Seedling from cross pollination.

Parentage: Cross between seed parent `Fantasy` and unknown pollenparent.

Classification:

Botanical.--Osteospermum ecklonis.

Common name.--Osteospermum.

Cultivar name.--`Sunny Sonja`.

Asexual reproduction:

A. Cutting type.--Vegetative shoot tip with stems approximately 3 cmlong and developing to 4-5 cm after 28 days in propagation.

B. Time to initiate roots.--8-10 days at 20° C.; nicely developed rootmass in 21-28 days.

C. Rooting habit.--Numerous, fibrous adventitious roots from the stembase.

D. Growth.--Standard growth retardant application for `Sunny Sonja`includes 1-2 applications of Daminozide/butanedioic acid mono (2.2dimethylhdrazide) at a rate of 2,500 ppm. Applications are made asfoliar sprays. Growth retarding chemicals generally reduce plant heightby 1/3.

Plant description:

A. Form.--Symmetrical, mounded perennial shrub, with good branchingcharacteristics after pinching, giving the plant a full appearance.

B. Habit of growth.--Vigorous, mounding habit, producing approximately15 leaves per stem and terminating in flowers. After the initial flowersform, typically 3 subordinate axillary shoots develop from the nodes ofthe uppermost leaves producing additional flowering shoots. This processis continuous so long as night temperatures remain below 16° C.

C. Foliage description.--1. Leaf shape: Obovate with acuminate tip andattenuate leaf base. 2. Leaf blade size: Mature leaves 8 cm long and 3.2cm wide. 3. Petiole length: Approximately 2 cm in length. 4. Leafmargin: slightly sinuate with 3-5 pointed lobes on either side of theleaf blade. 5. Leaf texture: Slightly undulant and twisted at the tip.(i) Upper surface: Slightly pubescent with short, white trichomes evenlydistributed throughout the leaf surface. (ii) Under surface: Glabrous.6. Leaf color: Dark green. (i) Upper surface: Near R.H.S. 147A. (ii)Under surface: Between R.H.S. 146A-147B. 7. Venation: Palmately branchedwith light green colored mid-vein on the upper surface. One prominentmid-vein is slightly raised on the lower surface. 8. Foliage fragrance:Characteristics Osteospermum plant fragrance, particularly notable whenfoliage is wet.

Inflorescence description: Daisy type composite flower with disk and rayflorets that close at night and open in the morning. The ligulate petalof the ray floret subtends the pistil. The disk florets contain maleflower parts. Florets on the flower heads are imperfect with pistillateray florets and staminate disk florets.

A. Flowering habits.--Flowering is determinate with one primary flowerat the end of a long 17-20 cm pedicel on open flowers. Each pedicel hadapproximately 4 leaflets on the proximal end of the pedicel. A secondaryflower arises from the base of the primary pedicel.

B. Natural flowering season.--Flowering occurs primarily Februarythrough October in the northern hemisphere. Initiation occurs after acool temperature vernalization (10°-17° C.). Floriferousness may waneduring hot summer days in temperate climates. Plants initially pottedusing rooted cuttings and pinched two weeks later, then maintained attemperatures of 10°-12° C. for four weeks and maintained for seven weeksat temperatures of about 18° C. will flower in approximately 13 weeks.

C. Flower buds.--Flower buds develop successively on secondary branches,reaching a size of 2 cm long and 1 cm wide prior to opening.

D. Flowers borne.--Singularly 9 cm above the plant canopy.

E. Quantity of flowers.--Secondary flowers occur progressively aroundthe primary flower so that tight buds to mature flowers are visible atthe same time.

F. Flower head.--1. Number of florets: 17-20 ray florets and numerousdisk florets, making up a flower disk approximately 1.3 cm in diamters.2. Shape: Narrow linear florets with obtuse to acute tips and acutebases. Ray florets approximately 2.5 cm long and 0.5 cm wide withmid-section curling to 0.1 cm wide. 3. Color: Ray florets are brightpurple; disk florets are violet-blue. (i) Upper surface of ray florets:Near R.H.S. 77B and 78B. (ii) Under surface of ray florets: Near R.H.S.83B and near 94B at the base of each floret. (iii) Disk florets: NearR.H.S. 96B. 4. Surface: (i) Upper surface of ray florets: Glaborous.(ii) Under surface of ray florets: Glaborous but pubescent near thebase. 5. Flower head size: Up to 6 cm in diameter.

G. Reproductive organs.--1. Stamens: Short stamens emerge on outermostdisk florets and progress toward the center. 2. Anther: Each disk florethas 1 stamen terminating in a 5-part anther. 3. Pollen: Copious andgolden yellow. 4. Stigma: Bipartite. 5. Styles: Short, approximately 2to 3 mm long and purple. 6. Ovary: Inferior to florets and green incolor.

H. Resistance.--1. Frost resistance: Withstands light frost. 2.Diseases: Resistant to most root, stem, foliage and flower diseases.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plantnamed `Sunny Sonja` as illustrated and described.